muutant

4 years ago

How can you believe in evolution if it is just a theory (a guess)?

A guess is always a hypothesis. A theory is a proven hypothesis. So to prove something we need evidence, evidence provide data and data gives you the conclusion. You should believe in evolution because science has enough evidences on evolution which proves the hypothesis of evolution which is now called as theory. : )

Because theory in the everyday sense and theory in the scientific sense are two COMPLETELY different things. Gravity is just a theory, do you now suddenly not believe in it?
1. Theory, hypothesis are used in non-technical contexts to mean an untested idea or opinion. A theory in technical use is a more or less verified or established explanation accounting for known facts or phenomena: the theory of relativity.

Was your question a technical or spiritual one? I tried to answer in a technical way as your question appeared to me. I hope, but of course, I will be more than happy to get into a discussion. :) and Do you think gravity is just a theory....

i never believe in evolution. i not sure if its a theory or not, but it never have prove!! there are still missing link to actually prove that evolution actually occurred. no one ever found a half ape-half man yet, its either an ape or man, no mixing gene!

There are two sides to view this matter:
1- Evolution is in fact a "scientific" theory which uses a huge amount of evidence to support its explanation of the origins of species. Homology in genetic makeup, radiometric dating of fossils and the whole idea of simple-to-complex directionality is what makes evolution so hard to refuse or neglect - considering the fact that no other scientific hypothesis has gathered as much evidence and approval as evolution.
2- However, it remains to be a theory as it cannot be witnessed, and thus there is left some margin in which you can disprove evolution. For example, most biologists are sure that natural selection is an important factor in determining the evolutionary line, but admit that it is a secondary cause of evolution (that is, natural selection explains a species need to survive and reproduce but not the need to evolve.)

In response to Saad93's second point, evolution -has- been witnessed. It only took less than 7 generations to domesticate dogs from wolves and start to breed other traits. While I do admit that this was human-facilitated evolution, it was not changed by way of genetic rewriting. And, in response to the original question, Occam's Razor states that the simplest solution is usually the easiest. And I find evolution to be more simple than any other religious or non-religious creation story/theory.

well if you mean domestication as in artificial selection, then i guess you have unintentionally confused the terms 'natural or artificial selection' with 'evolution'. NOT EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS IN EVOLUTION IS CAUSED BY NATURAL SELECTION. Here is one example: if evolution did occur, why would our 'common ancestor' evolve or rather speciate into apes and humans even though his mechanisms of survival and reproduction were doing just fine? what is the driving force behind the unstoppable increase in complexity of life in evolution's perspective?
And second, I don't think Occam's Razor is always right: take for example quantum physics, the simple solutions provided by Newton and even Bohr (less simpler) proved to be inapplicable at the atomic level; rather, the laws of quantum mechanics (Schrodinger's equation) in their complex nature are best fit under these conditions. And in my unprofessional opinion, i believe that biology is anything but simple and easy :)